Dyer deadline may be extended until eve of first match

Newcastle midfielder given more time to recover from injury as Eriksson prepares to select Sinclair against South Korea

The England team bus slowed as it passed the Cheju World Cup Stadium yesterday allowing the occupants to admire its futuristic architecture. The eyes of Kieron Dyer may have been drawn more by an adjacent sign. Embellished with a cross it directed potential worshippers to the "World Cup Commemorative Church".

After a week playing snakes and ladders Dyer has reached South Korea, but his grip on a World Cup place is as fragile as his body. The damage inflicted upon his knee ligaments by Tahar El Khalej nine days ago remains unclear. Yesterday Dyer, as voluble as ever but his voice no longer ringing with unquenchable confidence, gave himself a string of deadlines in the hope he will meet one of them. Three hours, three days, a near fortnight. According to the England coach, Sven Goran Eriksson, it could be the latter.

That would be 1 June, 24 hours before England play Sweden in their first World Cup finals tie under Eriksson's command. And he wants Dyer to be involved so badly one begins to think he is talking of Zinedine Zidane, not a 23-year-old international rookie with nine caps and only two stellar performances in an England shirt, one of them against Luxembourg.

"I am convinced he is a very good footballer," said Eriksson as he sat in the Dynasty Suite of a Sogwipo hotel yesterday. "I have seen him make the difference in midfield. I do not worry that he has not yet done it for me."

Dyer has begun jogging slowly, running in the swimming pool, and cycling in the gym. He has also been trying to stopping his head spinning.

"It has been a roller-coaster," he said yesterday. "On Thursday I was in the squad. I agreed my new contract on Friday. On Saturday came the horror tackle. That night I had a scan and was told it was not too serious. On Sunday I was told I was not going to the World Cup. Ninety minutes later I was told I had till Friday. Now I'm in Korea."

If it is hard for Dyer it must be torture for Trevor Sinclair, his understudy. Tomorrow England play South Korea and, with Dyer and David Beckham injured, Sinclair is an obvious starter. In the circumstances he will probably come off the bench, but what if he is outstanding? What if he is awful? Which is more likely given the uncertainty he is experiencing.

The one blessing is that the situation appears not to be creating resentment. "The first person I contacted, after my mum, was Trevor," said Dyer. "I texted him with the message: 'I could be out of the World Cup. I hope you do yourself and me proud.' He replied: 'Sorry about your bad news. I hope I do.' Then, when he heard I might be fit, he texted me with congratulations."

All very admirable, but perhaps easier to do when in England or Dubai. Though England will play their ties in Japan they were made aware as soon as they landed on the island of Cheju that after months of anticipation the World Cup is upon them. At the airport, despite a 2.30am arrival, they were mobbed and garlanded. Their every subsequent glance reminds them that they are are in a co-host country. The World Cup logo is omnipresent. Banners hang from street lights, posters fill shop windows, even the roadside flower arrangements are set in bowls painted to look like upturned half-footballs.

England fans are currently thin on the ground but at least one should be present at tomorrow's match, the one I met at Tokyo Airport who was planning to travel here from Japan by hydrofoil. Those that do attend will be met by a heavy security presence. Armed Korean police ring the Paradise Hotel the name of which, for once, is no exaggeration. Always out of reach to anyone without deep pockets it is now off limits even to Rockefellers with the Football Association booking the entire 120-room complex. Though it has the usual refinements and facilities the FA have taken the precaution of bringing more DVDs than a Blockbuster outlet, and an arcade's worth of video games, to keep the squad occupied.

Not that everyone is obsessed with England, or the World Cup. Cheju is a favoured destination for Korean honeymooners and it was clear, walking through Sogwipo City, that even Beckham would struggle to attract the attention of some couples.

Everyone but Dyer and Beckham, who were restricted to gym work, at least escaped purdah to train yesterday afternoon at the Gangchanghak Park Soccer Field. On a perfect surface, overlooked by volcanic mountains on one side, looking down on the stunning stadium and the blue waters of the East China Sea on the other, the players had a gentle work-out. Nicky Butt (knee) was only minimally involved but the other injured players, Martin Keown (foot), Sol Campbell (cut leg) and Robbie Fowler (hip) played a fuller part and may figure tomorrow.

The players were, apparently, not as discomfited by the watching media by a swarm of giant flies. It was proof, as are the evening mosquitoes (non-malarial, fortunately) that this is a sub-tropical island. The lush vegetation suggests rainfall is regular and heavy and England, according to local witnesses, have timed their arrival well. The last two days have been the first sunny ones for weeks. Having encountered rain in both Tokyo and Pusan during my journey here, the evidence suggests this could be the wettest World Cup in history.

Dyer warmed to the mention of the weather which should also be humid. "My first big tournament was the Under-20 World Championships in Malaysia and the heat didn't bother me," he said. "It's going to be a massive factor here but I was able to keep running."

It was as if he was trying to convince himself, us and Eriksson of his value. It was a reminder that, while modern footballers live most of their lives on a higher plane they are always earthbound. Unless there is further injury either Dyer or Sinclair will miss out on this World Cup, a blow they may never forget. "If I don't make it I doubt if I will even be able to watch it," said Dyer. "I'll just turn the television off."